The US government recently saved us from Chinese meddling. You’ve probably already heard of the ban of TikTok. Citing security concerns, President Biden signed into law the ban in conjunction with  $95.3 billion aid packages for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. The “Protecting Americans’ Data From Foreign Adversaries Act of 2024” mandates that Chinese-owned ByteDance sell its interest in TikTok or face a US ban of the app within 270 days (January 15, 2025). Wow! I feel safer already.  ..read more

For those of you that work on or support helicopters or have ever been to the Helicopter Association International’s (HAI) main event — Heli-Expo, you know that it is undoubtedly the largest helicopter tradeshow in the world. This year’s Heli-Expo 2024 was no exception.  ..read more

After three years on Mars, NASA's Ingenuity helicopter's mission has come to an end. After its last flight was on January 18, Ingenuity's rotor blades were damaged while landing — preventing it from flying again ..read more

Happy 2024! For many, a new year offers positivity and hopes of prosperity. Here are a few tips on making the most of your opportunities starting now ..read more

  Ken MacTiernan, director of the Aircraft Maintenance Technicians Association (AMTA), founder of the Aerospace Maintenance Competition (AMC), and longtime friend shared the following news, and I wanted to share it with our readers in case you may not be on his mailing list: Greetings everyone.  Disappointment? Yes! Frustration? Yes! Disrespected? Yes! Confused? Yes ..read more

I recently learned of the passing of Richard McSpadden, AOPAs Air Safety Institute’s leader and past Thunderbird Commander. McSpadden’s popularity was nearly unparalleled as he hosted several podcasts and did public speaking and presentations on a regular basis. The pilot community has celebrated his life after the tragic accident that took his life — and rightly so ..read more

Allow me to share a story seven and a half years in the making of the failure of the NTSB to provide due process for an aircraft mechanic. This story involves Anthony Jack Hawkins. Mr. Hawkins served in the U.S. Air Force from 1969 to 1989 as an aircraft mechanic, flight engineer, and line chief on C-130s. After his military career, he worked as an aircraft mechanic and inspector, holding an A&P and Inspection Authorization until 2016 when this matter started ..read more

The 2023 NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE) is just around the corner. It will be taking place October 17-19 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. In my opinion, NBAA-BACE is the second-best opportunity for maintenance managers and aviation maintenance professionals to gain the knowledge necessary for career advancement. (The best conference is NBAA’s Maintenance Conference, which offers three days of maintenance- and management-focused sessions ..read more

I'm in Washington, D.C. this week attending the NBAA Maintenance Committee fall meeting. Yesterday, several fellow committee members asked me how ChatGPT is affecting my job. I told them that to be honest, I don't use ChatGPT. Maybe I'm behind the times? One member told me he uses ChatGPT to help organize his daily schedule. So, being the curious person I am, I logged in to ChatGPT and asked, "How can ChatGPT help me organize my day?" ChatGP's response: ChatGPT can help you organize your day in several ways ..read more

The August edition of D.O.M. magazine is now online. It is a bonus digital-only issue with a theme of safety and environmental. You can view it by clicking HERE. Here’s a question for you regarding safety. Who is responsible for safety in the workplace ..read more